Canada is keen to get involved with a new worldwide infrastructure bank in China, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau indicated Tuesday – a move that would help the east Asian country’s economic credibility around the world.
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The pair oversaw the signing of deals, including a film co-production agreement.
Guy Saint-Jacques, Canada’s top diplomat in China for four years, said he’s noticed a change in terms of people’s ability to express themselves freely, and not in a positive way.
The premier said that China has no intention to keep its doors closed to imports but that the country’s farmers and consumers are anxious about imported pests.
While meeting journalists with Trudeau, Li said that they have agreed to maintain close contact between high-ranking officials, and establish an annual dialogue mechanism between the Chinese Premier and Canadian Prime Minister.
A Canadian official later said the two counties have been engaged in ongoing technical discussions on free trade, but stressed that there are no negotiations under way at this point.
On the political side, he said it was important for Trudeau that modern free trade deals include chapters on labour and on the environment.
“And as you know, those areas are problematic”, he said.
“I would say that a lot more work needs to be done on those areas. I would say the prime minister was quite clear on this”.
While the cost – which he estimated will be as much as $1 billion – could be high, he agreed that Canadian firms would indirectly benefit from the billions of dollars in projects the bank will finance. The concerns led the former Conservative government to restrict state-owned Chinese investment in Alberta’s oilsands.
For its part, China has been urging Canada to negotiate a free trade agreement.
Trudeau is now on his first official visit to Beijing.
Both sides should be flexible, he said.
Meantime, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says existing dockage rules with China on canola exports have been extended beyond a deadline of Thursday as the two countries continue to wrestle with a long-term solution.
Outside the Great Hall and across the square, Chinese flags fluttered alongside the Maple Leaf.
He mentioned that although China itself is a large canola producer, it has no plans to keep out other exporters.
“And by supporting this institution that’s primarily initiated by China indicates that we’re trying to build trust that China will use this institution for the greater good in a liberal, internationalist way and not simply as a device to expand its geopolitical reach”.
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The decision was announced on the second day of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s visit to Beijing aimed at rebuilding ties with China. He also said that a Canadian man held in China for two years on suspicion of spying would be treated humanely and lawfully. “Chinese consumers also have that issue on their mind”, Li added.
